Abatacept-Induced Psoriasis in a Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient

Objective: To report a case of drug-induced psoriasis in a girl with rheumatoid arthritis.Case Report: A 12-year old, Saudi patient with rheumatoid arthritis on abatacept presented to the Dermatology Clinic of Aseer Central Hospital, Abha City, Saudi Arabia, complaining of itchy skin rash all over the body since 3 months. On examination, there were scaly well-defined plaque and patch, mainly involving the trunk and the scalp. The diagnosis for this case was “abatacept-induced psoriasis”. Abatacept was discontinued and the dose of methotrexate was increased in addition to prednisolone. Clobetasol propionate cream was administered for the skin lesion. Two months later, the psoriatic lesions resolved.Conclusions: Abatacept-induced psoriasis is rare. Its exact mechanism is not yet clearly resolved. Management is by discontinuation of abatacept and the application of clobetasol propionate cream. Further research is still needed so as to achieve a better understanding of the mechanism of drug-induced psoriasis.